Losses and Sacrifices
by YesNoYes
Summary: A revision of the Mortal Kombat 3 story. The Earthrealm Warriors are hoping to liberate their realm from Shao Kahn's invasion... but can they defeat Shao Kahn again? Or, will they succumb to the odds? Completely different from the original MK3 story.
1. Prologue

**I DO NOT OWN MORTAL KOMBAT, OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF MIDWAY.**

Most people in New York City would have said it was a Monday in July like any other; hot and hectic. People were rushing to work, groaning in traffic, and generally being unpleasant with each other. They didn't know that in just a little under an hour, their whole existence would be erased from the planet, and the only proof that they had existed in the first place would be left in their abandoned homes. The only people who would live to tell of them, would be those who were unfortunate enough to be spared, and live through events the of the upcoming days.

It would be nice to be able to say that the government had no idea what was coming, but they had been warned. They were warned by both Sonya Blade and Jackson "Jax" Briggs, both of whom has proudly served in the United States Special Forces for years. It was a long and complicated story, and one that would hardly be believable to most who heard it. The story went that the Earth was a Realm (Earthrealm), and that they were in severe danger of being invaded by another realm (one called Outworld), and that if this happened defeat was inevitable, so it would be the best course of action to be prepared for invasion.

Needless to say they did not believe this story, in fact they laughed in both of their faces. Sonya Blade couldn't really blame them, she would have had a very similar reaction. Except she herself had been held captive in Outworld, and had seen firsthand what madness they were capable of. The Emperor Shao Kahn was on a crusade to conquer as many realms as he could, and the Earthrealm had been his most recent target. Earthrealm had almost fallen once, but the Shaolin warrior Liu Kang had pulled through for his realm, and became the champion of Mortal Kombat. Sonya Blade had hardly forgotten her time in Outworld, as she had been held captive by most evil men imaginable.

Shao Kahn himself was a formidable enemy, but he was served by some of the toughest warriors imaginable. There was the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, and several other warriors who Sonya had seen coming in and out of the Outworld dungeon. She had served her time in Outworld with Kano, which made the experience all the worse. Kano and Sonya had a very troubled history, and she almost had him in her clutches when he escaped. She knew that he went back to Outworld, but she did not know what fate had befallen him there. Sonya had always hoped she would be the one to get Kano, because he had murdered her partner years ago, and her partner had also happened to have been her fiancé. Since that fateful day Sonya had been determined that she would be the one to kill Kano, and that was also her main motivation for entering the Mortal Kombat tournament in the first place.

She was captured shortly after that, and only released when her friends had rescued her. Liu Kang defeated Shao Kahn, and Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, Jax, Johnny Cage, and Princess Kitana had freed her from prison. It didn't go well for them though, and Johnny Cage was caught by Shao Kahn's guards as they escaped the realm. Sonya felt severe guilt at the death of her good friend Johnny Cage, and couldn't help but feel a little bit of responsibility for his death. They all agreed that Shao Kahn would not let such a humiliating defeat stand, and that their realm was in danger of more of his trickery. The Protector of Earthrealm, Raiden, had told them to warn their government. Raiden was on the lookout for any more warriors who could be of assistance to them when Shao Kahn invaded. They were all ordered to stay within the United States, so that they could band together when the time came. They were each located in a different part of New York city, and they all knew where to rendezvous when the time came. The thing was, when would that time be?


	2. The Invasion

Sonya Blade and Jax had been staying at an apartment in New York City. They were in a middle class neighborhood, and were no longer working for the Special Forces. They had more important things to worry about. Sonya Blade was working out in her bedroom, when she saw the blue sky fade to black. She dropped her dumbbells, and looked out the window in fascination. Her heart leaped, and her throat felt like she had dry-swallowed a pill… this was it!

"Jax!" she cried out, but she didn't look away from the window. Little bolts of lightening were striking on the ground, but they emitted no light. Sonya had no way of knowing what was happening to the citizens on the surface. The city that had been so full of life moments ago, was now dead. It was a very surreal moment, and one that Sonya couldn't quite comprehend just yet. The electricity went out next, and Sonya could see nothing but the bolts of lightening in the sky. She wasn't even sure if the bolts were lightening, but that was the closest thing Sonya could think of to describe what she was seeing.

"Sonya? Is it happening?!" asked Jax in his deep voice. He had entered the room, and Sonya looked in his direction.

"Yes it is," she replied in a saddened tone. "Or at least, that would be the only reason that I can think of for this to be happening. We should hear from Raiden any moment now…"

"What do we do until then?" asked Jax.

"Wait I guess, I don't know what else there is to do." They went to the living room, and Sonya held onto Jax's arm, and smirked. "It's a good thing you went ahead with those bionic arm implants last week."

"I was just thinking the same thing," he said in a barely audible voice. They went to their couch in the living room and sat down. Most people in the neighborhood thought they were romantic, but that couldn't have been any further from the truth. Her relationship with Jax, was comparable to the relationship you would see between close siblings. They would never take their relationship to the next level, and Jax wasn't really Sonya's type anyways. Though she wasn't quite sure what her type was anymore, she had been admittedly lackluster in her love life since her fiancé's murder. Though even if she were looking for someone else, Jax would not be an interest. She was quite sure Jax felt the same way. She was a little surprised at how well prepared she was, perhaps the shock of the event hadn't hit her yet, but Sonya didn't feel that… affected by what had just happened. She felt anxious though, because she hadn't heard from Raiden yet.

Jax got up and looked out the window, and he quickly stepped back. The sky turned into an orange color, and the sun rose in the sky to be a crimson red color. The world had light again… but it was a very violent, and harsh light. "What the fuck is that?" asked Jax pointing out the window.

"What?" Sonya stood up and stepped beside him. She gazed out the window and saw a dark spiral to the west. "It looks like a portal Jax… but I'm not quite sure. How can he open a portal to this world?" Sonya knew that the rules of Mortal Kombat stated that Outworld could not invade Earthrealm. "I'm going to get a better view of this…" Sonya walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Jax grabbed onto her arm. She attempted to pull away, but Jax's bionic arms were too strong to be outmatched by Sonya.

"I'm going to get a better view of that thing in the sky!" Sonya declared. "The bank over there is pretty high up, and has a clear view. You can come with me if you'd like, just don't get in my way."

"We need to stay here until we here from Raiden," Jax said.

"Raiden is a God," Sonya said in an impatient tone. "I think he can find me if he needs to." Sonya stormed out of the apartment, and left Jax in there. She knew he wouldn't come after her, because he knew her so well. He knew when she needed her space, and now was definitely one of those occasions. She didn't really need to get a better view of the portal, but she needed to get out of the apartment. She walked out of their apartment, and into the streets of New York.

She had at least expected to see the corpses of everyone, but all traces of any human occupation were gone. Even the vehicles that had occupants had vanished. Sonya was not quite sure what had happened, but New York had become a ghost town for the most part. Then it hit her, the reality of the whole situation. It came all at once, and her knees became weak, they buckled, and she had to lean against a car that was parked on the curb. Her moment of weakness quickly passed, and she recollected herself. She had to be strong, and she had to live through this… otherwise the sacrifices of those before her were for nothing. She had to see this whole thing through, all the way to the death of her enemies. She crossed the street, and out of habit looked both ways. Nothing was coming, and she felt foolish for checking in the first place.

She entered the bank, and once again saw no evidence of humans occupying the building. It was mostly untouched, and there were no people in it. She wasn't quite sure what had happened to them, but she hoped that whatever Shao Kahn had done could be reversed. The electricity was out throughout the city, so she would have to walk up the long flight of stairs in the bank. That didn't bother her though, as elevators were made to cater to laziness, and she didn't believe in laziness. She made her way up the stairs, and kept looking out the windows as she passed them. The lightening bolts had slowed down, and they seemed to be for the most part in the distance. Sonya wasn't quite sure what they were about, but she sensed that they were not anything desirable. She hoped that her fellow warriors of Earthrealm were safe, and she hoped that Raiden had found worthy additions to their cause. There were a lot of stairs in the bank, and Sonya was getting tired of them already.

She reached the top of the bank, and found the door to the top section. She opened it up, and stepped outside. She looked out to the west, the lightening bolts were actually shooting from the portal, and Sonya could almost track their travel with her eye. "Oh shit," she said to herself. "This cannot be good. What is Shao Kahn doing?"

"What are you doing?" came a voice from behind her. She spun around and saw Earthrealm's Protector, Raiden standing before her. Sonya was excited to see him, but at the same time this confirmed all of her worse fears.

"I was just checking to see what was going on," Sonya said weakly. She knew she had been foolish to not wait with Jax, but she couldn't stay in that apartment, she would have gone insane.

"I thought you had grown out of such recklessness?" Raiden asked her with a raised brow. His eyes were a cold blue color, but he looked as formidable and wise as ever. "I don't need to remind you what price such foolishness could have."

"Well what took you so long?" Sonya spat out, suddenly she was getting defensive. She quickly shut up, as she realized how harsh she had sounded.

"Well Sonya," said Raiden in a calm voice. "You are not the only Earthrealm Warrior defending this realm. I have already spoken with Liu Kang and Kung Lao, as well as Jax… they are on their way to the rendezvous point. Which is where I want you to go after we are done speaking."

Sonya's heart raced, "So Liu Kang and Kung Lao are alright? What about Sub-Zero?"

"I have not spoken with him yet. I'm going to him after we're finished…"

"Did you have any luck finding new recruits to our cause?"

"Not as much as I would have hoped, but I did find three worthy warriors. Their names are Nightwolf, Kabal, and Kurtis Stryker…"

Sonya looked at Raiden in disbelief. "Hold on, do you mean Kabal as in the notorious criminal?"

"The very same," said Raiden with a nod.

"Kabal is a terrorist, Raiden! He is a member of The Black Dragon clan… which is lead by Kano! I can't see Kabal fighting against his leader!" Sonya was beside herself with disbelief, though Raiden had always been unorthodox in method, his recruiting of Kabal was just too shocking to be true.

Raiden just shook his head at her. "Sonya, you shouldn't be so judgmental. Do you think I would really recruit someone who would be a danger to our cause?"

"So he agreed to this?"

Raiden looked at her with a slight grin. "Not quite yet, but I'm sure he will."

"Unbelievable," said Sonya to herself.

"Sonya, listen to me. I am Earthrealm's Protector, I wouldn't put its warriors in the way of danger. Things aren't always as black and white as you believe. Kabal is innately a good person, and he'll be a valuable asset to your team. He's here in New York actually…"

"I'll trust you Raiden," said Sonya at last. "I'm sorry I doubted you in the first place. I just want to know how Shao Kahn could do this?"

Raiden sighed, and motioned for her to sit down. She did so at once, as she was in dire need of hearing the story. "Well as you know Shao Kahn cannot enter this realm without a viable reason. He lost Mortal Kombat, and the rules were very clear. However, there are loopholes around everything, and his sorcerer Shang Tsung is too clever to not exploit them. Did Kitana ever tell you of her mother, Queen Sindel?"

"No she didn't," said Sonya. "Though we admittedly didn't have too much time to talk. I didn't talk to her when she was guarding my cell, and she didn't make it through the portal with us…"

"Well Sindel was the Queen of the realm of Edenia, which as you know was taken over by Shao Kahn through Mortal Kombat. She watched as her husband Jerrod was slaughtered, and her people were enslaved. Shao Kahn made her his Queen, but not out of love… she was almost a trophy, and that was worse than anything to her. When Shao Kahn adopted her infant daughter Kitana, it proved to be too much for her… and she committed suicide," Raiden paused for a second in remorse.

"That wouldn't be the end of her degradation though," he continued. "Shang Tsung preserved her soul in secrecy, so that one day she could be resurrected if Mortal Kombat were to ever fail. Shang Tsung recently revealed his treachery to Shao Kahn; who was enthused. He had him immediately resurrect her on this realm, so that he could rightfully enter this realm, and claim her… that is how he has invaded Earth."

Sonya looked at him in disbelief, but she wasn't quite surprised. She knew that something deep, and evil had to be at work. "So, Sindel… she's on our side?"

"I'm afraid not," said Raiden in a regretful tone. "The resurrection process has somehow corrupted her. She may have already reunited with Shao Kahn."

Sonya looked off in the sky, and sighed to herself. Lightening bolts were still going off in the distance. "What the hell is that shit?" she said pointing to one of the lightening bolts.

"Shao Kahn is having his extermination squads teleported everywhere throughout the realm… in search of the warriors I have picked out. That's why you need to tread carefully to the rendezvous point. I would teleport you there, but I have very little time… and I have to still get to the others. Go to the rendezvous point, and meet with the others. I will answer any initial questions once we're all together."

"But…" Raiden wasn't there when she looked back at him, and she sighed. He always departed so abruptly. Sonya walked back towards the entrance to the bank from the top of the building, and as she walked towards the door, it slowly opened. She couldn't believe what happened next…

Kano stepped out of the doorway, and he looked at Sonya with an arrogant grin. "Hello beautiful. Did you miss me?"


	3. Trapped!

Princess Kitana could not believe that this was the day that she was going to die, after all that she had been through, and all she had discovered… she was going to die like this? It didn't seem right, but Kitana felt foolish upon reflection. When was the last time someone had stood up to her adoptive father and lived to tell the tale? If only she had made it to that portal weeks ago. She looked out from the bars of her crowded cell (the same one Sonya had been staying in actually), her guard was the fellow Edenian warrior Rain. She had known him for years, and had known him as a coward. He betrayed his own realm, and actively helped enslave his own people. Had Rain known all along that she was the Princess of Edenia?

Rain noticed her looking at him, and his eyes lit up from beneath his purple cowl. "What is it your highness?" he said with a short laugh. Kitana felt fury crawl up her spine.

"Since today is my last day, I just wanted you to know something. I always found you to be the biggest coward around here, and I find your weakness disgusting."

Rain titled his head back and laughed again. "That's a good one you little bitch. Let me guess what I'm supposed to do now. I'm going to be so angry at your foolish comments, that in an effort to prove myself I'll unlock your cell, and then you'll murder me and escape right?" Rain stood up and walked over to her cell. Not a chance Kitana… as much as I would love to be the one to slaughter you, I think I'll let the Tarkatans feast on you later."

Kitana sighed, and leaned back against the wall. "I cannot believe you have the nerve to speak to me like that. I have a question for you then, and there is no trickery involved. I want to know how you could betray your own realm?"

Rain paused for a moment, but quickly regained composure. "I don't know who put illusions of grandeur in your head concerning your parents, but I'll be honest with you. King Jerrod, and Queen Sindel were complete morons. I fought for them for a while, but they're the reason Edenia fell in the first place. Those who oppose Shao Kahn end up serving him in the end, as you'll soon enough find out. I wonder if your mother will be there…"

Kitana's heart skipped a beat. "What about my mother?"

Rain laughed once again. "Oh, you don't know do you?" He paused only to laugh. "Well since you're going to die in a few hours, I don't see the harm in letting you know. Your father has resurrect Queen Sindel on Earthrealm, I believe he already entered the realm to retrieve her…"

Kitana looked at him in horror, "You're lying!" Rain laughed again, and Kitana sunk to the floor in realization. Her mother was alive again, and her friends on Earthrealm were in trouble… "My mother would never go along with one of Shao Kahn's schemes!"

"No," said Rain in a contemplative tone. "You're right about that one, I even asked Shang Tsung about it… and he informed me that since her soul had rested for so long, she would be corrupted. I'm sure she'd enjoy your execution just as much as I'm going to."

Kitana burned with fury, but at the same time her resolve was renewed. She knew she would have to escape this realm today. She had to save her mother from whatever sick plot Shao Kahn had in mind, but first, she had to save herself.

OOO

Sonya stepped back in surprise at seeing her enemy, but she quickly was ready to fight. "What the hell are you doing here? I figured that Shao Kahn would have already disemboweled you."

Kano smirked at her, and took a few steps forward. He had a long dagger in each hand, and was looking at her with a menacing glare. "Funny thing about that," said Kano in an arrogant tone. "Shao Kahn knows a good recruit when he sees one, and he quickly realized that I would be a brilliant addition to his ranks. I'm the weapon instructor to his armies…"

"Weapon instructor? That's certainly a downgrade from clan leader…"

"Well, as we both know… I know how to put a weapon to use." Kano laughed at his own joke, and Sonya felt her anger take over.

"Let's see you put that weapon to use now fucker!" she cried out. Sonya leaped into the air, and her foot came crushing down on Kano's cranium. Kano staggered back, and Sonya landed on her feet.

"It's a shame I have to kill you," said Kano in a calm voice. He ran forward and swung his daggers at Sonya in a frenzy. She just narrowly dodged each swipe, and saw her opening. Sonya kicked Kano in the ribcage, and he fell to the ground. Kano dropped both daggers as he hit the concrete, and his head bounced off the building.

"Come on you pussy," she said with a snarl. Kano quickly got up, and didn't even bother to pick up his daggers. Sonya swung at Kano, but he blocked the shot. Kano quickly caught Sonya in the face with a backhand blow that sent her staggering. Kano kept on the attack and leveled her with a hard uppercut. Sonya felt herself fall onto her back, and she became temporarily dazed.

"Not so tough now, are you bitch?" asked Kano from above her. At hearing his voice she crawled onto all fours, and tried to pick herself up. Kano answered with a swift kick to her gut. Sonya rolled back onto her back, and looked up at the sky. Was she really going to let Kano murder her? Sonya sprung back up and ducked one of Kano's wild punches. She socked him across the face with her right hand, and pulled his stomach into her knee with her left as he staggered back. Kano doubled over, and Sonya stomped on his calf muscle, with a howl of pain Kano fell onto his knees.

Sonya mustered all of her strength, and aimed a kick at his temple. Kano rolled onto his back to dodge this, and he kipped up quickly. He charged at Sonya, and caught a hard right to the jaw. Kano countered with a hard right of his own, and followed through with a left. Sonya staggered back, and glanced behind her in horror… she was too close to the ledge of the building. Kano kicked her in the chest, and Sonya fell over once again. She realized that she was running late already to rendezvous with her friends, and she needed to finish off Kano quickly. She rolled over onto her chest, and looked up at Kano.

"Now you can join your precious fiancé," jeered Kano. "Be sure to tell him that I sent you!" Kano moved in for the kill, and grabbed up Sonya by her hair. She quickly pushed off with her hands, and wrapped her legs around his neck. She pulled back with all of her might, and sent Kano plummeting down the side of the bank… with a lock of her hair in his fist.

Sonya looked down at his broken body, and she felt a wave of satisfaction go through her. She had finally killed that bastard Kano! With a shrug of her shoulders she headed off for her friends…

OOO

Kabal awoke from his nap with a start, and he quickly sat up from the couch he had been passed out on. The first thing he noticed was that the power had went out, or had been shut off. He sighed as he headed to the bathroom of the apartment. This of course wasn't his place, because he was on the run from the government. He had been staying with one of the lower level operatives. His name was Skull, and he was really quite disgusting. The apartment smelt horrible, and the fridge was full of expired (and now ruined) food.

"Skull?" he called out. "Skull where the fuck are you? What's going on with the power man? I can't even shit around here!" He went over to Skull's bedroom, and didn't see him. He shook his head in anger, and swore.

"Well wherever the hell you are, I'm going across the street to shit at McDonald's!" Kabal sighed in frustration, and made his way to the door of the apartment. He opened it up, and looked out in horror. There was nobody out there! No cars in the streets, no random people walking by… there wasn't even anyone lined up at McDonald's.

"Fucking A," he said to himself. There was a group of people up the street, maybe they would know what was going on? Kabal ran up to meet them, and began to shout. As they came into view he knew he had made a mistake… They were all holding some sort of weapons, and in front of them was one of the most fearsome looking things he had ever seen… One of the members of the squad came at Kabal with his spear. Kabal quickly grabbed onto the spear with both hands, and kicked the man in the chest. The man fell back, and Kabal grabbed the spear from his hands. He pointed the spear at the mob, and a few members stepped back.

"Hold on now," he said angrily. "Just tell me what the hell is going on!" The fearsome creature stepped up, with his hooves slapping against the pavement. His arms were holding onto a crossbow that was pointed at Kabal.

"You belong to Earthrealm I take it," said the beast.

"Yes," said Kabal with uncertainty. "I am from the planet Earth… but I'm not sure where the hell you came from!"

"I am Motaro!" he cried out in anger. "Leader of both the centaur, and Shao Kahn's extermination squads! We are from Outworld… and you must be one of Raiden's chosen warriors. How quaint," said Motaro arrogantly.

Kabal could barely even lift his spear, before he had Motaro plant his hind legs into his chest. The impact of this lifted him off of his feet, and into the side of a nearby building. Motaro fired off a bolt from his crossbow that hit Kabal in the gut, and turned to his group. "We need to meet with Kano, and see what progress he's made." They all walked off without looking back at the downed warrior.

OOO

Kitana started as the dungeon door opened. Her heart leaped once again as Jade came through. Jade and Kitana had been best friends for as long as she could remember, but she hadn't talked to Jade since that fateful day. Jade had stopped her from killing Mileena, and had even helped Mileena fend off her attacks… she wasn't quite sure where they stood.

Rain got up to greet her, "You're turn?" he said with relief in his voice. Jade merely stared at him, and began to unlock Kitana's cell. Was she helping her break free?

"No," said Jade finally. "It's time for Kitana's trial, now help me put her in these," Jade lifted up the shackles. Kitana couldn't murder her best friend Jade, so she didn't put up a fight as they bound her hands together. "Come with me Kitana," said Jade at last.


	4. Judgment

Jade snapped the bonds in place, but made sure they weren't too tight. They were looser than she was comfortable with, but she couldn't make this any more painful for Kitana than it already would be. She had served Shao Kahn for as long as she could remember, but this was definitely the hardest day of her life. Jade looked at Rain, "You can go ahead to the trial… I'll take her in."

Rain looked at her; his eyes narrowing from behind his cowl. "Fine, but you two better not be up to anything."

Jade scoffed at Rain, "I'm terrified." Rain stormed off and Jade sighed to herself. It was just Kitana and Jade walking to her trial now. Jade was afraid of this moment, she wasn't afraid that Kitana would kill her, but she was terrified of what she had to say. When she confronted (and almost killed) Mileena she seemed to be so right, so confident… Jade certainly had more doubt than Kitana did going into this.

"Jade you don't have to do this," Kitana said calmly.

"Shut up," Jade spat at her. She wished that she sounded more resolved than she did.

"Jade, you're from Edenia as well! We can restore it, all we have to do is overthrow Shao Kahn."

"Kitana, why would I want to attempt something as foolish as that?"

"So it is intimidation that holds you?" asked Kitana in a disappointed voice. "I could have accepted it if you still believed in our cause. I never thought my friend would be a coward."

Jade slapped her. "How dare you! I fought beside you for years Kitana, and I saved your life on several occasions. I would have died for you, and what did you do? You betrayed us all! You didn't just betray your father Kitana, you betrayed me! You tried to murder your own sister! You aided the man who humiliated your father!"

"Mileena is not my sister! I promise you that, do you think my own sister would have such deformities?"

"That's your problem Kitana, you're shallow! That Liu Kang charmed you with his good looks, and warped your mind."

"I don't have a sister Jade! I broke into Shang Tsung's chambers, and I read the papers on her… she was a creation of his treachery! She was supposed to replace me if I ever got out of line! If you don't believe me see for yourself. The papers are in the smaller desk beside his station!"

"Just shut up," Jade said again, this time it was more of a plea than anything. "What do you want from me? Today is going to be hard enough without this!"

"Just let me go," begged Kitana. "You can say I overpowered you, you can say that Rain assisted me. It doesn't matter, I have to get out of here. Do you understand?"

Jade looked down at her feet, "I can't do that Kitana."

OOO

Kabal gasped for air, and grabbed at his chest as he did so. Each breath was more painful than the last, and he slowly felt himself slipping into darkness. He couldn't believe that his whole life had come to this. Had he really lived his whole life to die like this? He crawled onto the street, and looked down at his body. The bolt was still stuck in his belly, but he was bleeding profusely.

He remembered when his one time partner Jarek has been shot in the belly, and how much he had bled. He survived the episode, and he bled out for close to a day. Kabal couldn't imagine suffering much longer, and he crawled to the gutters of the street, looking for something to end his life with… anything would do.

He felt around and couldn't find anything suitable to kill himself with. A flash of white happened before his eyes, and he thought for a second that he had finally died. His vision was blurring, and he saw a tall man in a funny hat. "God?" He slipped into unconsciousness.

OOO

Kitana followed Jade into the courtyard, and she breathed in the fresh air. She had been in the cell, with no natural sunlight for weeks. She took some pleasure in the light, and the freshness of it all… Jade pushed her forward and she walked on into the trial area. Two guards took her from Jade, and led her to her stand. She sat down at her seat and looked around her.

The judge was an older man named Tiro. He was known to be the most ruthless of all of Shao Kahn's judges. Behind Kitana sat a large mass of people in benches, and to Kitana's far right was the executioner sharpening his axe. Kitana knew what was going to happen with this, but she had to make a case and get her message out. She saw several people she knew including Rain, Sheeva, and Jade. Rain and Sheeva were talking to each other, both of them had excited expressions, and Kitana felt a quick wave of revulsion at them. She couldn't believe she had once belonged to that group. She was looking to see if her mother was in attendance like Rain said she was, she didn't see her anywhere.

Tiro smashed his fist on the podium, and the chatting crowd grew silent instantly. Kitana faced him and felt a cold chill go up her spine. She knew it would be in her best interests to play along with this… for now.

"We are summoned here today for the trial of Kitana. Kitana you are facing several accusations of treason. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Kitana said in a calm tone. The crowd bursts into whispered discussion, and Tiro pounded his fist on the podium once again.

"Speak up little girl," Tiro said with a snarl. "I'm not here to read lips." A few in the crowd laughed at this, and Tiro sat back in his seat with an expression of cruel pleasure on his face. Kitana knew that Tiro had heard her.

"Not guilty," Kitana said in a sarcastically loud voice.

"Is that so? Very well then, bring in the first witness please." Tiro rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. Kitana looked behind her, and she saw Jade standing up. Jade approached the stand timidly, and sat down on the bench beside the judge.

"Yes your honor?" asked Jade in a calm voice.

"You were with Kitana when she attempted to murder her very own sister, were you not?"

"Yes sir," said Jade slowly.

"So, she did in fact attempt to murder Mileena?"

"Yes sir."

"Can you go into more detail please. Tell us the whole story, don't be so obscure."

"Well," began Jade. "Kitana, Mileena, and myself were sent to scout the Earthrealm warriors that were in the realm. I noticed some odd behavior from Kitana, and Mileena finally confronted her. Things got quite heated, and Mileena did attack her first. Kitana had the upper hand and was going to kill her… I had to stop her from doing that. I couldn't let her kill her sister."

"Mileena is not my sister!" Kitana shouted.

"Silence!" shouted Tiro. He looked to Jade once again, "Continue please."

"Well Mileena was hurt after the battle, so we traveled back to the Palace. Shang Tsung quickly healed Mileena, and that was how it happened…"

"It was self defense!" shouted Kitana.

"Kitana, if you interrupt my court again I will personally decapitate you!" Jade looked at her with a pleading expression and Kitana quickly shut up.

"Now you may speak Kitana," Tiro said with a grin. "How do you respond to the very convincing story we just heard?"

"It's all true," she said calmly. "You heard her just as I did, Mileena attacked me first. I was merely defending myself."

"That is one side of the story. I think we need a more convincing witness. Jade, go back to your seat. Bring in my next witness please."

Kitana looked behind her, but nobody rose up from their seats. She looked around wildly, and saw nobody.

"The next witness is Mileena," said Tiro as Mileena approached from the courtyard's Palace entrance. Kitana's fury boiled up inside of her.

"Greetings sister," said Mileena in a dry voice, even behind her veil the satisfaction on her face was clear.

OOO

Motaro marched the squad back to Shao Kahn's Palace, and on the way to the Palace he saw something on one of the streets. Kano was laying in a broken heap. He was hardly alive at all, and there were vast amounts of blood around his body.

"What do we have here?" asked Motaro in an amused voice. "Look at this," he said as he kicked his hoof at Kano's body. "Our little Earthrealm traitor, defeated on the first day. Now this just won't cut it."

Motaro was several things. He was a leader, a warrior, and also a sorcerer. He quickly fixed the wounds, and Kano slowly sat up. "What the hell?" he said looking at his body. "I thought I was going to die for sure." He looked up at Motaro, and the excitement left his face at once.

"You're not out of trouble yet," Motaro snapped at him. "You will be presented to the Emperor. He will cast judgment on you!" Motaro looked back at his squad, "Seize him!"

"There is no need to tell Kahn about this!" Kano said in a begging voice. "I'll give you anything!"

Motaro laughed at this, "You fool! What could you possibly present to me? You know what I want Kano? I want to see you dead!" Kano looked at him in shock as two members of the squad seized him up by his arms.

OOO

"Where is Sonya?" asked Kung Lao as Jax approached the already gathered group. The rendezvous point had turned out to be the apartment that Kung Lao and Liu Kang had been staying in.

"She's not here yet?" asked Jax in a worried voice.

"No," replied Liu Kang. "She was staying with you."

"Yes, but she said she was going to go get some fresh air. I spoke with Raiden, and he said he would send Sonya out this way."

"Well she must simply be on her way," said Sub-Zero dismissively. "I mean you are just getting here, and from your story I'm assuming he spoke with you before Sonya."

"Yeah," said Jax in a distant voice. He sighed a bit, "Well it's happened. I assume you all have a game plan?"

Kung Lao nodded his head. "No we do not. We're waiting for Raiden to come back. I guess he has to get the three new warriors who are joining us."

"Are you alright Sub-Zero?" asked Jax in a worried voice. He noticed the large scar on his face.

"I'm fine," he said. "I don't really wish to speak about it. My clan betrayed me… but they will be dealt with."

"What do you mean?" asked Jax. "They're still out there?"

Sub-Zero nodded. "They're already dead for the most part… they've just sent three cyborg assassins after me. The rest of you all shouldn't be at risk for the most part. I will deal with this in my own time."

"Bullshit," snapped Jax. "If they're coming after one of us, they're coming after all of us. You're damn right they'll be dealt with."

Sub-Zero bowed his head again. "Thank you for your loyalty Jax. I just hope that it won't have to come to that."

"How were they spared? I thought that everyone on Earthrealm had died unless Raiden had spared them?"

"They were humans at one time," Sub-Zero began in a sad tone. "Now they are more machine than anything, I'm not even sure if they have enough of a soul for Shao Kahn to strip from them. I know for a fact they survived. They were programmed to survive this."

Kung Lao looked at Jax's arms, and smirked a bit. "I see that you're part cyborg yourself now?"

Jax laughed, "Whatever it takes. We gotta make damn sure we have whatever advantage. Plus they look badass."

They all laughed at this, and stopped quickly at the apartment door opened. Sonya came in slowly, and she looked a little roughed up. Her hair was out of order, and her face was swollen up as though she had been beaten.

"What the hell happened to you?" asked Jax.

Sonya didn't say a word as she sat down on the couch. Finally she looked up, "I was attacked by Kano. I guess he joined up with Shao Kahn… he's dead now. I tossed him off a building."

"Are you sure he is dead?" asked Liu Kang.

"Liu this was a tall building… there's no way he survived."

"Raiden told us that the enemy can be revived."

"Even if he is revived Shao Kahn won't tolerate failure. He is no longer a threat to us," said Kung Lao.

"Perhaps that's true," said Sub-Zero. "Though his death would be preferable."

They were all lost in their thoughts, and suddenly a white flash blinded them. When they could see straight they saw Raiden in the living room. With him were two other men they had never met before.

OOO

Shao Kahn looked at his Queen, and he kissed her hand. She wasn't the same as she was when she had passed away by any means. Her eyes used to be blue like the waters, but now they were blank, and empty of all color. Her hair had once been so elegant, but now it was simply dead. The most notably different thing about her was the aura she gave off. At one time her beauty was an inspiration to her people, but now just looking at her was a grave reminder of how far things could fall.

She had been revived in an Earthrealm Church, and there she laid at the altar waiting for Shang Tsung to revive her. Shao Kahn looked at Shang Tsung and nodded his head. "Very well then," said Shang Tsung with a bow. He went up to Sindel's lifeless body, and muttered the incantation. Nothing happened for a minute, and finally her eyes opened.

A loud scream filled up the room, and it came from Sindel. The Church windows busted instantly. Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn felt themselves being weakened by the very sound of it, and finally she stopped. She rose up from her altar and looked at both of them. "It's about damn time," she said crossly.


	5. Escape

Kitana wasn't surprised to see that her "sister" had shown up to her execution, instead of intimidation she felt immediate ire burn inside of her. She glared at her sister, and felt her resolve harden even more. Tiro leaned forward at his podium and tried to make out the emotion on Kitana's face. He needed to see her moral break, he needed to see that his antagonistic remarks were angering her. Kitana would give them no such pleasure, if today were indeed the day that she died… then she would do so with dignity.

She maintained composure, and put a look of apathy back onto her face. Tiro, Mileena, and the audience were locked in an awkward silence. "Can we go on with this?" said Kitana in a dismissive voice. "I mean, where is your professionalism Tiro? Surely you have other tasks of vast importance to complete before today is over?" Her sarcasm was so heavy that even Baraka could detect it. He did in fact detect it, as his howling laughter could be heard throughout the courtyard.

"I will dictate the happenings of my court!" Tiro shouted at Kitana as he pounded his fist on the podium in annoyance.

"This is a laughable court at best! Look at this! This isn't a trial, it is a mockery! Things are far too brief, and your dismissive attitude is unbecoming of any judge." The courtyard burst into discussion once again, and Tiro didn't even bother to silence them with any actions, he simply shouted over them.

"Very well then! We will hear the brave Mileena's side of the story." He looked to the woman on stand. "If you would be so kind," he said in a falsely encouraging voice.

"Well," began Mileena. "As most people here know, I am an assassin for the Emperor Shao Kahn. He is my father, and I have served him with the utmost loyalty for as long as I can remember. I also fought alongside my sister for as long as I could remember, and I always thought that our relationship was a strong one. Kitana was obviously the favored sister, but that did not matter because I respected her… she inspired me with her skill."

Kitana could barely conceal the shock that came with these words. She had never considered the fact that Mileena had respected her all along. She had never thought about how things must have been for her. She was after all, falsely raised under the impression that she had been Kitana's sister for her whole existence. Would Kitana have been so accepting of her own words, had their roles been reversed? She felt guilt inside of her, and knew that she would one day have to try to reconcile with Mileena, because although her existence was an abomination… she still had emotions that were as real and complex as Kitana's.

"We worked alongside our mutual friend Jade. We become a notorious trio, we were some of the most feared figures of the realm. We were brutally efficient killers, second to no one. Shortly before the horrific loss in the Mortal Kombat tournament, I began to notice a change in Kitana. I counseled with Jade over it several times, but she failed to see it. Kitana cared less about our work, and she even… she sympathized with our enemy! When we were ordered to ambush the Earthrealm warriors, that is when Kitana finally revealed her true intention to me that day." Mileena looked directly into Kitana's eyes as she spoke, and each word was spoken directly to Kitana. This was more than a testimony to the courts, it was a confession of emotions from Mileena to Kitana.

"I confronted her actually. You see, that fool Liu Kang had warped her mind. She was throwing away everything because of some heroic Earthrealm figure! I tried to make her realize the error of her ways, and that is when she betrayed us all! She said… horrific things. Lies. They were all lies! They can't be true!" Mileena stood up from the podium, and a pleading look overtook her for a second. Mileena quickly recovered herself, but not before she was revealed to Kitana.

What could Kitana do anyways? Try to comfort the hideous monstrosity? To do so would be a grave error, any credibility she had would be thrown away. Everything she had told Mileena that day had been true, and nothing she could have said would change that. Kitana did feel pity for her clone, but at the same time she knew what savagery Mileena was capable of. She had to get through this trial, and although she knew the death sentence was coming… she hoped that she could avoid actual death. If she were to die, she at least hoped to become a martyr for her cause. Comforting Mileena was simply not an option.

"They were all true," Kitana said in a dismissive tone. "Don't act so shocked. You know what trickery the Emperor and his little minions are capable of. Do you really have any illusion of your own expendability? If they would execute me so viscously, what do you think they would do for an unworthy abomination such as yourself!"

Mileena screamed at the top of her voice, and threw herself down on the stand. The crowd gasped at this outburst, and Tiro even lost his composure. She pulled out tufts of her hair, and pounded her clenched fist on the hard wood of the stand. Tiro looked down at her with disgust on his face, and Kitana could not help but feel a waver of guilt seize her emotions. Brutal sobs shook Mileena's whole body, and the arena was silent save her blubbering.

After a while she stopped altogether, and she looked up at Tiro with bleary eyes. "What did she say to you that day?" Tiro asked her with a forced empathy in his voice.

"She said that that our father, was not really our father. She claimed that her father was King Jerrod from the long conquered Edenia realm! She also said that… that… I am not her sister. She said that I am a clone of her! And that is why… that is why my…" Mileena pulled at her veil, but quickly stopped. She stood up and began to walk away, refusing to say another word. Tiro pleaded with her, but it was unheard. She was making her way to the crowd, but suddenly she made a quick grab at her boot. She pulled out a small concealable dagger, and in a quick violent motion she threw it in Kitana's direction.

Kitana just barely ducked the flying dagger, and behind her a guard had been caught in the throat. She looked at her clone with no emotion on her face, letting her know that it would take much more than that to eliminate her. The guard behind her was staggering around aimlessly , and his spear laid long forgotten at his feet. Kitana saw her opportunity, and she knew that it would not come again. Jade had not put on her cuffs tight enough, and Kitana was grateful for this fact. She shed them quickly, and dove at the spear on the ground.

The court cried out at her escape, as she rolled over on top of the weapon. She grasped onto it, and raised it up to defend herself. A foolish guard ran right into her exposed tip, and it went through him without the slightest hardship. Kitana shook him off of the spear, as she stood up to her feet. "Seize her!" demanded Tiro. Kitana looked up at him, and a grin contorted her face.

Mileena was the first to answer the call. "She's mine," she yelled with a great glee in her voice. The guards all stood off as Mileena ran up to meet her sister in combat. Kitana stuck the spear into the ground, and posed off with her. The crowd was stirred, this trial had turned into a much more exciting affair than they had expected. Mileena struck out first, with an aggressive swipe of her hand. It was a clumsy attack, and one that Kitana easily blocked off. Kitana followed through with a jab of her own, and Mileena staggered back.

They ran at each other, and lost all tact in their fury. Punches were thrown with nothing but anger behind them, and as each one connected Mileena and Kitana reached an understanding of each other's intentions. Kitana did not want to murder her, but she could not afford to let this fight be a lasting one. She still had to make her escape.

Mileena struck her in the chin with an unexpected kick, and Kitana was lifted off of her feet. She went into the air, and crashed onto the defendant stand behind her. The wood gave under the impact, and she felt herself go through it. She laid their in agony, as Mileena laughed above her. She slowly got to her feet, and through her peripheral vision saw her sister running at her. She spun around on her left heel, and planted her right into Mileena's belly. Mileena doubled over in pain, and Kitana saw her chance to end the fight… for now.

She quickly grabbed the veil on Mileena's face, and with one quick motion ripped it off. Mileena's hideousness was on full display to all of Outworld. She cried out in horror, and fell onto her rear. She covered her features with her hand, and looked up at Kitana with an intense hatred. "You will die for this," she said in a muffled tone. Kitana threw the veil at the audience, and quickly grabbed her spear back up from the ground. Mileena retreated into the Palace, and the guards began to swarm Kitana once again.

None of them were truly a match for her, but in numbers alone they had the advantage. Kitana looked into the crowd, and saw Baraka, Rain, Ermac, and Jade fighting there ways through the chaos. The elusive Sheeva was standing with her arms crossed. Kitana tossed the spear into the air at the crowd, and used the distraction to dive into it. She grabbed a cloak off of one of the poorer denizens of the area, and covered herself. She was an assassin, and blending in only came naturally to her. The crowd was in a chaos now, and Kitana was truly lost to all of her pursuers. Her escape was surprisingly easy after that.

She ran into the Palace, and to the place that Jade said the Portal would be at. She only hoped that Jade wasn't ambushing her… she had been betrayed so much lately. She wasn't let down, the Portal was in the throne room. The throne room was a long room, and Kitana was sure that her pursuers would be there any moment. Without any more hesitation she broke into a sprint, and shed the cloak. She leaped into the air, and dived into the Portal that was before her.

OOO

Raiden teleported into the modest living room of the Liu Kang's apartment, and with him were Kurtis Stryker, and Nightwolf. He was relieved to see that they had all made it to the rendezvous point, but he quickly noticed Sonya's bruises and swellings. "What happened to you Sonya?" he asked of her in a shocked tone. "I thought I was clear when I said to come straight here? You didn't risk our cover did you?"

"No," Sonya said in a tired voice. She didn't feel up to retelling the tale of her encounter with Kano. "I met Kano right after you abruptly teleported away like you always do. We fought, and I tossed him off of that building. The end."

Raiden took in the story. "Kano isn't dead," said Raiden finally. "He will be resurrected by Motaro."

"Who is Motaro?" asked Liu Kang.

"Motaro is a centaur, and he is the leader of both the Centaur clan, and the Earthrealm Extermination Squad. He is a powerful warrior and sorcerer…"

"Another of Shao Kahn's mindless brutes," Sonya said with a sigh.

"He is far from mindless. The centaurs are an intellectual species, and are fierce warriors. Fortunately Motaro is the only Centaur in Shao Kahn's service."

"Why is that?" Kung Lao wondered aloud.

"Shao Kahn has sworn loyalty to the Shokan. However, with the recent failures of both Goro, and Kintaro… Shao Kahn's faith in them has been shaken. The Centaur clan has been at war with the Shokan for years. If they can gain Shao Kahn's favor, they have an edge in the war. Motaro's death squads have indeed been affective, I saw what they can do firsthand."

"Wasn't there supposed to be a third warrior to join us?" Jax inquired.

"Indeed there was," said Raiden. "Kabal would have been a valuable asset to our cause, but Motaro found him before I did. He was barely alive when I found him. Nightwolf helped me put him on a life support system," Raiden pointed to the Native American man at his right. "We hid him from the enemy, but he won't be well for a while. As of now… what we have right here, is all we've got."

Raiden leaned against the wall, and took a deep breath. He was being drained of all energy. "Raiden," Liu Kang spoke up. "Are you well?"

"I'm afraid not," Raiden sighed. "I have no power in the Earthrealm, and the opening of this portal has weakened me greatly. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to go away for a while after this. I need to conserve my energy, otherwise I am of no use to anybody." Raiden collected himself, and quickly snapped back from his pained state.

"Should we lay out a strategy before you go?" asked Sub-Zero.

"I'm afraid there is no strategy this time around," said Raiden. "It simply comes down to survival. You all must confront Shao Kahn and Sindel, and they must be defeated… it's the only way to end this madness. All I have is advice."

"And what would that be?" Sonya piped up.

"To stick together at all times, and to always trust your instincts. Everyone here is committed to best interests of Earthrealm. You all would do well to remember that." As soon as Raiden's words began to sink in, he disappeared without another word to the group.

"Typical," said Kung Lao with a smirk.

OOO

Shao Kahn was back in the palace, and he was setting at his throne. Beside him was Queen Sindel, who looked at the people before her with a distinctive air of indifference. Tiro was before him, and was timidly retelling the story of Kitana's escape to the Emperor. Rain, Jade, Baraka, Mileena, Sheeva, and Ermac all watched as Tiro stumbled through the retelling. Shang Tsung could barely repress him smirk as the story ended. Shao Kahn sat in silence for a moment, and the whole room watched him intently… awaiting the inevitable outburst of violence. Who would be blamed for this botchery?

"So what you're saying to me," Shao Kahn began… "Is that Kitana escaped the execution today, because you don't have control of your court?" Shao Kahn's fingers found their way around the formidable war hammer at his side.

Tiro's eyes lit up in horror, and he groveled at Shao Kahn's feet. "No Sire! It wasn't my fault, that Mileena ruined everything with her…"

"Nonsense!" burst out Mileena. "I was the only one who stepped up to stop my sister from escaping. Everyone else stood around in a blind panic!"

"You told nobody to interfere!" objected Tiro.

"Lies!" Mileena spat as though she were affronted.

"Enough!" shouted Shao Kahn. He stood up with the war hammer in his grip, and he brought it down on the bowing Tiro's skull. It crushed on impact, and Mileena looked up at the Emperor in fear.

"Now the rest of you leave my presence at once," spat Shao Kahn. "I need to meet with my Queen."

The throne room doors opened up loudly, and Motaro entered the throne room with two of his most trusted lackeys beside him. He was leading the chained Kano into the throne room. Sheeva hissed as he passed her, but he paid no attention.

"Now what is this!?" Shao Kahn demanded of Motaro. "Why do you have my weapon advisor chained up!"

"I told you to never trust the Centaurs!" Sheeva burst out.

"Silence Shokan filth," spat Motaro in her direction. "I come to you, with failure. Your weapon advisor allowed himself to be defeated by an Earthrealm female… I restored him, but only so he could be presented to you. If he were a Shokan, he would have been executed for his failure on the spot."

"Just throw him in the dungeons for now," said Shao Kahn. "I don't have the time for this at the moment! All of you leave my presence at once!"

OOO

Sheeva was wandering the Palace, and trying to shed her fury. Her people used to be at favor with Shao Kahn, but the surprising deaths of Goro and Kintaro had ended that… now the Centaur clans were taking their spot? She tried to do everything in her power to persuade Shao Kahn of her value, but it all seemed to fall on deaf ears. She was in the dungeons now, but she did not care. Something was calling her down there, and she was simply going along with it. One of the chamber doors opened, and Shang Tsung stepped out from his lair. "Sheeva," he said in a pleasant tone. "How nice to see you down here. Come in my lair please, we have much to discuss."

Sheeva looked around, and decided that she could trust Shang Tsung. She certainly couldn't trust anyone else around the Palace. She entered the lair, and looked around. The place was of exquisite design, and something about the place made her feel comfortable.

OOO

Kitana was in New York City, but she had no clue of that. She wandered the desolate streets and looked around tentatively. What had happened here? She knew that Shao Kahn was up to a new form of sorcery, but this was all foreign to her. Has he already conquered the realm? Was Kitana the only one left to oppose The Emperor? The very thought of such was unnerving, and she quickly pushed those feelings away. Her friends had to be alright, and she had to join up with them. They would need her help.

OOO

Shang Tsung grimaced as Sheeva sat on his luxurious couch, and he made a mental note to himself to burn it later. For now he had to lure Sheeva into a comforted state of trust, and he would do anything to achieve that. He easily enough read past her body, and deep into her soul. She was a simpleton, and her emotions were not complex. She would be easy enough to manipulate. He felt the hatred, and quickly found the source of it. He sat down beside her, and leaned back arrogantly. "I have an issue that I think you can help me with," Shang Tsung finally said. Sheeva instantly was turned off by this.

"I only assist Shao Kahn," she stated bluntly.

"And for what reasons Sheeva? I see your furious loyalty, and I see your true worth… but does the Emperor?"

"Of course," Sheeva said downtrodden.

"Is that so? I mean your people have been nothing but loyal to our cause. Goro fought alongside me for years, and was one of my most respected friends," Shang Tsung lied. "Any fool can recognize the true worth of the Shokan people. However, Shao Kahn sure is warming up to the Centaurs."

Sheeva's body stiffened beside him, and he could feel her emotions shifting to him. He pressed on, "Now what should we do about this disgraceful display of disrespect?"

"What does it matter to you?" Sheeva demanded.

"I too, hate the Centaurs."

"You do?"

"Yes," Shang Tsung said. "You see, the Shokan people know their place. They properly recognize that their true value lies in their strength, and not in their intelligence. Centaurs on the other hand not only think themselves to be stronger than humans, they also believe their intelligence to be greater than ours. I see this, but Shao Kahn's abilities seem to be faltering alas, I think he may have been ruling for far too long."

"What are you saying?"

"It's as simple as this," said Shang Tsung as he straightened up. "We both are ready for a change around here, and I think we need to take the initiative. We need to murder Motaro, and then Shao Kahn."

Sheeva stood up, and looked at him with distrust. "Why would you do that?"

"Imagine if I were Emperor," Shang Tsung said. "I could lead the Shokan people to a new age of prosperity and value in my Empire. I could even help you to eliminate the rest of the Centaur. All you have to do is assist me in murdering Shao Kahn." Shang Tsung manipulated her easy enough, and he knew by looking into her that his words has worked their way into her logic.

Shang Tsung read into her soul, and could see that he had won her over. "I'll do it," she finally said.

"Splendid!" Shang Tsung clapped his hands in enthusiasm. "Don't do a thing until I order you to do so. I still have to lay out a plan… but know this. Shao Kahn will fall."

Sheeva stood up, and without another word left the dungeons of Shang Tsung.


	6. Doubt

Kano couldn't believe that he was in the dungeons of Shao Kahn once again. This time he was truly in trouble, and he knew it. He had been thrown in the lowest parts of the prison, and knew he would starve to death and go mad before anyone came down for him. He looked at the withered away skeletons in the corner, and felt a tingle of fear crawl up his spine.

He remembered the last thing Motaro said to him before throwing him in the dungeon. "Think about the cowardice and failure that landed you here." Kano thought about everything, and he felt no remorse for any of his actions. His only regret was that he didn't get to finish of Sonya Blade. He huddled into the corner of the cell (after moving a skeletal corpse.) He had no concept of time as he sat there in the darkness, and finally he heard footsteps approaching…

"Who's there?" he called out. The footsteps died at once, and Kano felt foolish. His mind was playing tricks on him. He stood up and squinted into the darkness, his metallic eye was shining like a small ruby. He heard the footsteps once again, and he leaned up against bars in desperation. His hands were wrapped around them, and he began to shake the door with his body. "I'm in here!"

Kano could faintly make out the outline of a man before he felt incredible pain in his hands. With one sharp blow the man smashed them between the bars, and Kano fell back howling in pain. His fingers were throbbing, and his head had hit the cement floor. "What the hell was that for?"

"Silence!" shouted the familiar voice.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"It's not about what I want," said the leathery voice. "It's about you. It's all about you," said the voice again.

Kano recognized the arrogant voice at once, it was that of Shao Kahn's leading sorcerer Shang Tsung. "What do you mean it's all about me?" Kano spat at him.

"Did you ever have any doubt?" asked Shang Tsung. "Think about your whole life, and you'll realize that you are the only one who truly matters."

"Why do you tell me this? I wouldn't think you would have this much leisure time… to go taunt a lowly prisoner."

"You'll die down here, don't you know?" Shang Tsung said in a factual voice. "I remember the last prisoner who was down here… I visited him a few times. He lost his mind in the end… better off dead I'd say. Wouldn't you?"

Kano ignored this, and pressed on. "What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want anything?" asked Shang Tsung.

"Listen Sorcerer," said Kano impatiently. "I know you lot think that I'm some… unsophisticated thug, but the truth is in Earthrealm I ran the most dangerous terrorist ring in the nation. I know all about business, and proposition… and I know you wouldn't be approaching me right now if you didn't need me to do something. Just tell me what it is, I've got nothing to lose."

Shang Tsung laughed at this. "In that lies the dilemma, my delusional friend. You see, I certainly have much to lose. Much more than I am willing to lose in fact. I dare not utter a word about what I need, but I will tell you this… you will have another visitor tomorrow. This visitor is like you in the fact that she has nothing to lose. Choose your path wisely, as this will likely be your last visitor. You ignore this offer, and you'll soon join the other rotting carcasses in this pit."

Kano did not respond, and Shang Tsung vanished altogether. He went to set back down in his corner, and thought about everything that had just happened.

OOO

With Raiden gone things got awkward in the small apartment. Sonya had never realized what a close group the Earthrealm Warriors were until Nightwolf and Stryker were thrown on them. They were painfully silent for a few moment, and finally Stryker spoke up. "So, can I at least get everyone's name?" The group relaxed a bit, and everyone shared their names and a little bit of their stories with the new-comers. Sonya felt herself trust Nightwolf completely, but Stryker was another story altogether.

Sonya looked at both of the new people, and finally spoke up. "So what about you guys?" she asked them. Nightwolf began his tale immediately.

"My people prophesized this event long ago, and we knew the day was upon us. I was the chosen one of the village, as I am the most powerful. I am well trained in ancient magic, combat, and archery. I am not afraid to sacrifice myself to this cause," he said with a low bow.

"Hold on," said Jax. "A Native American tribe that knows of realms and all that shit?"

Nightwolf looked at Jax, and frowned at his cursing. "We knew not of the realms, but we did know of a catastrophic event that would call for one of our services."

"So, this isn't the least bit odd to you?"

"No it is not. We are surrounded by supernatural forces at all times." Jax nodded at Nightwolf, and he to felt at ease.

"So what about you?" asked Sonya to Stryker.

"Me?" Stryker said. "There's really not much to tell. I've been a dutiful cop for the past ten years, and I used to be a cage fighter in my younger years. I didn't see the honor in beating people up for money, so I chose to protect and serve. There's nothing complex to the story of me."

"Is that so?" asked Sonya.

"Yes," Stryker said shrugging his shoulders. "I would love to say that I was a member of an ancient clan that converted to robotic super-assassins… or that I was a peaceful Monk turned Champion, but that's just not the case. If you wonder what I'm doing here I couldn't tell you. It would seem that Raiden works in strange ways."

"You have no idea," said Kung Lao.

"Aren't we supposed to be fighting some Emperor? What are we still doing in this apartment?" asked Stryker to the group. Liu Kang stood up at once.

"I think you're right," he said to Stryker before turning to the group. "The time for talk is over," he said to them. He walked to the apartment door, and everyone followed him at once.

OOO

Mileena and Jade met each other outside of Shao Kahn's throne room, and looked at each other. "What are you doing here?" asked Jade to her at once.

"My father summoned me," Mileena said in an arrogant voice. "How about you?"

"I was also summoned," Jade said quickly. Mileena instantly looked crestfallen. "I think we know what that means," said Jade slowly.

"What's that?"

"We're about to be sent on a mission."

"Oh yeah," said Mileena. "I'm glad, things were getting rather boring around here. I'm ready to spill some blood." Jade nodded at her, and looked around pointedly.

"Should we go in?" Jade finally said, and Mileena opened the door for them both to enter. They walked in the throne room at once, and looked around. Shao Kahn and Sindel were waiting for them, and beside them was Shang Tsung. Jade felt her fear rise up at once. She had been having odd thoughts and realizations lately, and everything Kitana told her was beginning to make sense. She would have to try to hide that though, because she knew what Shang Tsung was capable of. She knew that he could read any doubt she was having.

Beside her Mileena threw herself at their feet dramatically. "Father… Mother… an honor. It is good to see you Mother," she said to Sindel. Sindel looked at Shao Kahn with a confused look, and Shao Kahn nodded his head a little urgently.

"Good to see you as well… daughter." Sindel's voice had no emotion in it, and Jade read this at once. Shang Tsung looked to be rather amused as well, and Jade's thoughts went back to what Kitana had said about Mileena not really being her sister… but being an evil, twisted clone.

"There is something I must ask of the both of you," said Shao Kahn. "It would seem that my traitorous daughter has went to Earthrealm to join those heathen warriors."

Jade knew what was coming next, and she felt her stomach churn… "I need you two to hunt her down before she can join them. Bring her to me alive… or dead it doesn't matter any more. She cannot be allowed to join them."

"Why is that?" asked Jade. Beside Shao Kahn she saw Shang Tsung looking at her thoughtfully.

"What do you mean? asked Shao Kahn.

"Well, I mean I have no qualms with killing her," she lied. "It's just, why is it such an urgent matter that we get to her?"

"Well she knows the secrets of the palace… and I would not wish for my Queen to see her in such a state of insanity. It wouldn't do her heart any good."

Jade looked at the woman beside Shao Kahn, and she was sure that Sindel didn't have a heart in her body. She looked more dead than alive, and she was certainly not capable of emotions like sadness, and love. There was more to it than Shao Kahn was letting on, but she could feel Shang Tsung's curiosity, and she knew better than to press the issue.

"We will do it," said Mileena. Jade nodded her agreement at once.

"Wonderful," said Shao Kahn. "I'm sending Reptile with you."

"Why?" asked Jade before she could stop herself.

"He's less… impressionable than most." Shao Kahn said and left it at that. Jade bowed, and they were both dismissed.

OOO

Mileena was in her room getting ready. She places her Sais on the leather holders on her boots, and examined herself in the looking glass. She looked truly beautiful with her veil on, but with it off… it was another story completely. She untied the veil, and slowly removed it as she looked at herself. Her sharp teeth were glistening in the light, and her monstrous face almost frightened her to look at. She was ugly, and savage, and hideous… just as her sister had said.

Behind her a voice whispered in her ear… "Like what you see?" She spun around at once and saw Shang Tsung looking at her. She quickly put her veil back on, as her face flushed in embarrassment.

"What do you want?" she asked him in a would-be-calm voice.

"I come to warn you of Jade," Shang Tsung said.

"What about her?"

"She's going to betray you. Just like Kitana did."

"What makes you say that?" Mileena asked him in a suspicious voice.

"She is weak minded, and easily influenced. She isn't strong like you are. She listens to what that ungrateful Kitana says, and she is the reason Kitana escaped."

"What makes you say that?" asked Mileena.

"I think you know how I acquire such information." Mileena nodded her head, as Shang Tsung walked off.


	7. The Master Manipulator

Shao Kahn stood outside in his courtyard, the same location that had hosted Kitana's mockery of a trial. Beside him was Queen Sindel, and next to them was the centaur Motaro. Shang Tsung was faintly lingering in the background behind them. Shao Kahn marched up to the podium, and addressed a grand army of the Outworld's Elite Extermination Squad before him. They stood in number close to a thousand, and among them were the deadliest warriors imaginable. From the psychic Ermac, to the Edenia traitor Rain, Shao Kahn's elite all hung on edge to be addressed by The Emperor before being sent on their most important mission yet.

He shouted out to them, "You have been gathered for one grand purpose… and that is to conquer the Earth Realm once and for all!" They all gave a roar of enthusiasm at this. "Today we march upon the Earth, and we will eliminate what futile resistance they have gathered! And in the end their fate will be similar to that of the fate of Edenia…. Conquered by a far more worthy ruler! Conquered by a far superior realm! Finished off once and for all by…. SHAO KAHN!"

He raised both him arms in the air in premature triumph, and as though on queue Shang Tsung had summoned a great and intimidating portal behind the gathered Extermination Squads… They all turned around to face the dark, swirling portal and looked back to Shao Kahn.

"Take no prisoners! Show no mercy! Let there be bloodshed tonight!" Shao Kahn bellowed, and at that note the squads dashed to the portal, and quickly vanished through it. Leaving the four on the podium, and what small crowd had gathered to see them off.

OOO

Kano was now desperate in his cell. The sorcerer had promised that there would be a visitor, but how long ago had that been? Time was nonexistent, and every hour felt infinite in length. Kano was slowly losing his sanity, his stomach was growling in furious hunger, and most of all his mind was in panic. Kano had lived most of his life at high risk stakes… therefore his sense of self preservation was extremely high. Every panicked thought in his head was letting him know he was going to die, and that under no circumstances should he pass up even the faintest chance of freedom. However, when was he going to have any chance to escape this hell? This unearthly prison?

He heard footsteps yet again, and prayed to any Gods that would listen he wasn't imagining them. He knew that if they were real, it wasn't Shang Tsung again… they were too heavy, and not nearly graceful enough to be the fruity little sorcerers. No… these were more clumsy, and much less subtle. In the distance he saw a faint orange glow, that was emitting from a torch. As it got closer, the identity of the one carrying it became clear rather quickly.

"Well what have we hear? Looks like a lowly little Earthrealm fool who wasn't smart enough to stay in The Emperor's good graces" taunted Sheeva just from grabbing distance of Kano. Not that grabbing her would do any good when she could just as easily tear his arm from his body. Kano had to bite back the urge to retaliate to the insult. Instead he caught the slight edge to her alien voice at the mentioned of The Emperor.

"The Emperor is the foolish one for thinking that he will get away with this!" Kano declared with a forced conviction.

"Oh really?" jeered on Sheeva. "What are you going to do from your cell scum? Nothing!"

"You mean to tell me that you plan on keeping me in this cell?" Kano said bravely, hoping he hadn't came on too strong.

Sheeva considered for a minute, and looked to be battling with herself. "What would be in it for me to let you out?"

Kano smiled widely at this, displaying all of his yellowing and rotting teeth. "It depends on how I could assist you… of course."

Sheeva looked at him thoroughly, and Kano knew better than to look too scheming. She shrugged her shoulders. "How much does your freedom… your life, mean to you?"

"Everything," Kano said truthfully.

"Then you will help me kill The Emperor, and his foolish steed Motaro."

Kano had not expected Sheeva to ask this of him. In what little time he had known her she had seemed to be trying her hardest for his acceptance, now killing him was such an extreme opposite that he was temporarily speechless. What could have changed her so drastically?

He thought yet again to Shang Tsung, and his question was answered instantly. The manipulative sorcerer really was playing all cards here. Kano recognized that he was a master at his craft, and couldn't begrudge that of Tsung, when he himself had pulled of similar schemes on numerous occasions. Shang Tsung was up for a promotion, and he was feeding off of Sheeva's own insecurities masterfully.

He valued his existence too much to actually try to kill The Emperor, but if he could just get out of his damn cell he would be free to think from there. Kano looked at Sheeva, and with the best Poker face he could summon under such circumstances muttered, "I will assist you in any way possible."

OOO

Kitana was strolling near the bank that Kano had fought Sonya at earlier, and quickly noted the blood splatter on the sidewalk. Her gut wrenched instantly. Had that been one of her friends final resting spot? Was that there blood faintly glistening under the now permanently crimson sun? She once again pushed her mind and pushed forward. She leaned against a building for a quick rest, and reflected on the events of the past few hours. She closed her eyes, and began to dream of more peaceful times, or reuniting with her mother, of a life without the constant threat of Shao Kahn… Somehow she didn't get too far in her thoughts.

When her eyes opened back up she saw a small group of Kahn's warriors circling her. They were greater than ten in number, and three of them were wielding spears, while one was brandishing an intimidating sword. Kitana quickly pulled out her bladed fans, and stuck up a defensive position. The warrior with the sword lunged forward, but Kitana sidestepped this easily enough, and kicked him into an exposed spear top on her right. He was impaled deeply, and he gave a choked cry as he died on the spear. The man with the spear pushed him off, but wasn't able to see the fan zooming in on him. When he looked back up he caught it between the eyes, and fell to the ground instantly, spouting blood out of his head in alarming quantities.

The others of the squad looked quite alarmed at this, but Kitana wasn't letting her momentum leave her yet. She charged toward the recently fallen member, and cut the throat of another one upon passing. She lifted her fan from between the man's eyes, and backed up onto the open street behind her.

"You guys are the best Kahn has to offer?" she taunted them. "It would seem my worries were unwarranted then." It only took Kitana a matter of minutes to dispose of them properly. When they had all fallen, she looked around solemnly. She knew she couldn't keep surviving attacks like this… eventually she would let up. She needed to find the Earthrealm Warriors. Quickly.

OOO

Author's Note: This is a brief chapter. I know there's a good five month gap in between me writing a new chapter, but I don't feel as though I had any readers for this. If anyone is interested in this story just let me know by email, a review or something. I don't want to feel like I'm writing this for myself.


	8. Falling Into Place

The attack came on heavy, as soon as they stepped foot out of their apartments. Instantly, the Earthrealm chosen were faced with a serious onslaught of enemies, and they were greatly outnumbered. Liu Kang, and Kung Lao had been leading the group, and they stood closest to the gyrating spears that were closing in on them.

"Oh shit," said Jax to nobody in particular. "This is not good, not good at all."

"Yeah, no kidding?" replied Stryker smartly. His voice was hitting a panicky level as he was not used to facing these odds… in fact, he had no experience in such situations, save a few out of control mobs.

"We'll be alright guys," said Liu Kang firmly to the group still behind him. "Now don't act until I give the word, get ready…"

Stryker pulled out his automatic firearm while Jax did the same, and Kung Lao casually brought his hand up to his lethally-brimmed hat. Sub-Zero began to tap into his elemental powers, and somehow Nightwolf had incredibly summoned a dangerous looking bow. The atmosphere was tense as Shao Kahn's Extermination Squads began shouting indistinguishable taunts; the warriors ready to strike on a moment's notice.

"Now!" shouted Liu Kang as he sprang forward, and sidestepped a stabbing spear. Kung Lao's hat soared through the air, and began to dismember all that were in its path. Stryker and Jax faded to the back while firing off random shots into the large crowd of enemies, and with an impressive display of his powers, Sub-Zero had managed to freeze a good number of them in one sweep.

The combat was brutal, loud, and bloody… Liu Kang was moving seamlessly through the crowd of enemies, and taking out astonishing numbers with crushing blows. His kicks and punches were fast, strong, and efficient as they often took out the opposition with single blows. With a high scream he ripped out a particularly large foe's jugular vein, and watched with an uncharacteristic determination as he staggered around the street sputtering blood everywhere.

Sonya was much more subtle with her attacks, but she was still affective. She had somehow managed to ascertain a spear from the enemies, and she was impaling, and slashing with little regards for who she killed. She almost impaled Kung Lao on one occasion, but had just managed to stop herself.

"Sonya," screamed Liu Kang, "Don't lose your head. Don't be reckless! Raiden warned you of this already!" Sonya ignored this though, because in her opinion, a battlefield of this caliber was hardly time to start spouting out halfwit reminders. She drove on with more ferocity than before, but gave her allies a wide girth to maneuver. She cared too much for her friends to want to accidentally murder them.

They were killing in large numbers indeed, but they were so outnumbered that is was only a matter of time before they were overtaken by them…

"What the hell was Raiden playing at?" roared Jax over the chaos, and in between firing off rounds. "We're going to get killed out here!"

OOO

Kano could not believe his luck… Sheeva was actually unlocking his cell! He stepped out slowly, and looked around in the darkness. He could hardly make out his surroundings, but he immediately threw himself into liberation mode. Though he was out of prison, he was still bound to Sheeva by his word… though this scarcely had any merit whatsoever.

"So tell me the plan," said Kano in a cautious tone. He wanted to keep himself composed, and not appear to be too doubtful, confident, or scheming.

"Motaro is in his private chambers. Our first step is to ambush him. I think your presence alone will do the trick here. I will sneak in first, and then after I have had enough time to position myself, you will run into his chambers and challenge him. He will surely not challenge this move, as it was he who got you thrown in prison… Then I will come in from behind, and catch him off guard."

Kano was with the plan thus far, he was all for seeing that bastard horse get slaughtered and turned into Outworld glue. As far as he was concerned, Motaro was the biggest enemy of all at the moment. "Then for Shao Kahn?"

"It will be the same plan for Shao Kahn, except I will more time to position myself." Sheeva said as though this were common sense.

"It's not a very good plan," said Kano factually.

"Why do you say this?" Sheeva's tone was mildly threatening, and Kano had to reconsider his etiquette before he continued.

"It's just entirely too reckless, and you're leaving too much up for luck! I'd bet that damned horse ain't dumb enough to put his guard down with the likes of you crawling around these chambers! And, you'd be a damned fool to believe Shao Kahn ain't expecting no treachery from the end of a bitter Shokan such as yourself."

He apparently didn't reconsider enough as Sheeva grabbed him up by his collar, and proceeded to deliver three head rattling blows to Kano in rapid succession.

"Do not take that tone with me Earthworm!" Sheeva bellowed at him in a rather masculine voice. "I could just as well throw you back in those cells, and let you rot to shit like the other rats in this dungeon! How would you like that?"

Kano still had too much pride to respond submissively, so he decided to just keep his comments to himself altogether, and with his head completely spinning from the impact of the blows they had sustained, he trooped on behind Sheeva.

OOO

"Earth looks much different that I had expected," commented Jade to Mileena as they walked down the empty streets. They were far off from Kitana, but Reptile kept insisting under his breath that he could just smell the foul bitch's stench. Mileena didn't respond to Jade, and her concern over this was growing greater by the minute. Had Shang Tsung tipped Mileena off? Was Mileena scheming on doing away with her? Is that why Reptile had been sent along? Tall buildings surrounded them everywhere, as they walked down the once thriving city streets. Dark alleys surrounded them, and Jade was watching them wearily for any secret signal from Kitana.

She glanced over her shoulder wearily, and saw Reptile creeping behind them. She was severely unnerved by his presence, because she knew of his complete, and devout loyalty to The Emperor. Her nerves were shot, and she couldn't handle the tension between the three of them.

"We need to talk," she finally said to Mileena. She was surprised that Mileena stopped, and though it was hard to read emotions on her veiled face, Jade didn't see too much hostility on her features.

"What do you need to talk about?" Mileena replied with an edgy tone.

"Well we haven't talked about what happened with Kitana, and what happened in court today…" Jade was trying to be cautious with her words, because she knew that one slip-up would have her and Mileena locked in combat… and most likely Reptile wouldn't be on Jade's in the event of such.

"What did happen in your opinion? Kitana betrayed her family, her country, and most of all The Emperor… and due to a severely faulty trial lead by that great fool judge, she was able to escape today." Mileena's tone suggested finality, but Jade had worked up the courage, and wasn't ready to falter yet.

"I'm talking about the accusations…"

"You mean the lies?!" Mileena said in a still more final tone, somehow Jade didn't feel like backing down.

"No, I mean…" she began, but never finished.

"This conversation is over!"

"Mileena, you can talk to me! We're friends!" Jade knew this sounded weak, and hollow, and was unsurprised at the reaction in garnered.

"Ha! You're just another one of Kitana's simpleminded admirers… shut the fuck up!"

Jade was now angry herself, and she stepped up to face Mileena within striking distance. "I saw your deformed face! I know your secret!"

Mileena stepped back quickly, and held her face as though Jade had just struck her in it. Jade felt a hard jab of pity for her, and shame overruled her anger.

"Look," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry, let's just… let's just get back to the task at hand ok?" Mileena nodded solemnly, and Jade started back down the road.

Mileena's hurt slowly boiled into anger as she followed Jade, and from her side holder she extracted one of her Sai. Before she could control herself she stabbed at Jade with this weapon. Jade had expected this, and had prepared her staff for the attack. As Mileena ran forward, Jade brought the staff up into her mandible. With a satisfying impact Mileena was knocked onto her back, and temporarily dazed.

Jade probably could have finished her off then, but Reptile was quick to spring an attack on Jade. His long tongue wrapped around her throat, and began to reel her in revoltingly. She couldn't fight the power of his pull, and she looked up in horror as Reptile's mouth began to widen, and exposed large, razor-like teeth… She knew what her fate would be if Reptile could pull her all the way to his mouth.

She quickly gathered up her wits, and with all her strength rammed the metal spear into Reptiles mouth. He let out a beastly roar, and Jade felt her weapon scrape the innards of his throat. He instantly released her, and staggered away aimlessly with blood pouring profusely from his throat.

Jade turned around quickly, and caught a hard kick to her abdomen from the newly refreshed Mileena. Jade lost her prose, and she landed harshly onto her back; her head snapping back hard onto the pavement leaving her dazed.

"Now you die bitch!" screamed Mileena as she leaped into the air with both Sai out. She came back down with the lethal weapons aimed from Jade's face, but Jade was able to quickly roll out of the way. Mileena was thrown off balance from this, and Jade knocked her back down with a sweep of her staff that sharply connected with Mileena's calf muscles.

Jade made to stab the pole down onto Mileena's throat, but Reptile ran forward to make the save. With one fierce right punch he almost floored Jade, but she caught herself with her staff. Reptile remained on the attack, and Jade swung her weapon at him again, but with much less force than usual as she was still off balance.

Reptile grabbed the staff with his right hand, and quickly pulled it from Jade's grip. She backed up from his offensive attack, but it was too late as he knocked her back with another furious right handed punch. Jade fell back into an alley, and fell on her behind before quickly picking herself back up. She knew she was in trouble, if she didn't do something quick, but Reptile had worked himself up into a frenzy. She had seen him take out entire villages effortlessly when he was this angry.

Reptile grabbed her up with both hands by her throat, and easily lifted her off her feet. He shook her about violently, and she could feel her life slipping away from her as he squeezed. She instinctively lifted both of her legs up and locked them around Reptile's head. When she was sure of her balance there she gauged at both of Reptile's eyes with her hands. He foolishly let go, and with one great twist of her body Jade snapped his neck…

Mileena howled in rage at the sight of Reptile's lifeless body, and Jade moved in to face her. "I should have knew Kitana was right about you," she spat in disdain.

Mileena laughed hysterically, "Too bad you won't live to tell her that!"

"We'll see bitch," replied Jade as she prepared to attack.

OOO

It was a truly hopeless battle, and the great warriors of Earthrealm were starting to show signs of fatigue. Stryker and Jax had both gave up on their firearms, and were now fighting in hand-to-hand combat with the others… However Nightwolf was still somehow able to summon arrows for his summoned bow, and was consistently picking off enemies.

"This is hopeless!" screamed Stryker as he delivered a crushing blow to the thick neck of a nearby foe with his club. Yet they fought on, and though they had finished half of their enemies, they knew that reinforcements were likely to come, and they knew that when they did their fates would be sealed.

Liu Kang was barricaded by a circle of foes who were armed with spears, and they all seemed to be sent for the sole purpose of eliminating him. He couldn't argue that they were effective, as he was hopelessly surrounded. Kung Lao saw the barricade, and quickly threw his lethal hat at the ground. He was able to take out one of them, and this was the opening he hoped he had needed.

Liu ran forward, and sidestepped a jab from one of the spears. He stepped on the warrior's calf, and punched the back of the man's neck. With a fatal lurch the man fell forward. The next warrior was much more foolish as he outright charged Liu, who just as easily sidestepped this, and kicked him into an exposed spear from one of the others. Liu was down to only three, but the numbers had finally caught up to him. One of the men from outside the barricade threw a large piece of concrete rubble at the back of Liu's head, and he was knocked off of his feet.

The three speared men remaining him swooped down for the kill, but two were quickly stopped by swift metal fans that decapitated them. The survivor looked up in shock to see Princess Kitana coming down on him with an attack so swift that he never had time to react.

"Kitana!" Liu declared in excitement, and relief. She nodded at him elegantly, and proceeded to fade into the battle.

OOO

Author's Note: I hope this makes up for the brief last chapter. Reviews, or emails please!


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